Giant Pandas Removed From Endangered Species List

Giant Pandas of Asia were moved off the endangered species list in 2016. The news was faintly felt by the media back in September as the election and other stories were in high demand. Nevertheless, these efforts should be properly recognised. It took close to 50 years of conservative efforts to bring the Giant Panda from Endangered to Vulnerable.

The Giant Panda was once commonly found among the southern areas of China. As China became more developed over the decades, the profitability of poaching Giant Pandas became lucrative for the rural Chinese populace. The Chinese government began their conservation efforts in the 1980s. However, by that time the Giant Panda had dropped dramatically. Currently there are approximately 2000 Giant Pandas on earth, a number that has increased by 17% in the last decade. [1]

Sustaining the Giant Panda's wild, bamboo-rich habitat is the most important aspect of Giant Panda conservation. This improved status validates the Chinese government conservative policies towards Giant Panda reproduction and habitat restoration and protection. However, there is still concern over how the habitat will fare against climate change which is predicted to "eliminate more than 35% of the Panda's bamboo habitat in the next 80 years." [2]

​"It’s good news that the giant panda is no longer endangered." Says biologist Qiang Dai from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "This is something that my friends who are working to conserve the panda are very proud of. The habitat of the giant panda has been expanding over the past 20 years, which is why the status is gradually improving. However, I don’t think the giant panda is safe now. The threats to their habitat are still only partially controlled, not annihilated, plus there is the additional impact that climate change could have on their natural habitat. The progress we have made could disappear quickly if we do not continue working to improve the situation." [3]​Dai continues, "The giant panda itself is tough – it has outlived many other animals in its history. Additionally, the genetic diversity of the giant panda is still high. The stochastic processes in demography shouldn’t be a very big problem for a population with over 1,800 individuals. Also, hunting is not an issue as the panda is highly regarded in Chinese culture. So, most threats that other large wildlife face do not affect the giant panda. Habitat degradation and fragmentation, however, is a real, complicated problem. There are many people living in or beside the habitat of the giant panda, and inevitably there is conflict between their needs and the needs of the wildlife. Balancing this conflict is far more difficult than publishing a paper, and requires dedicated people to work on it." [3]

Despite the obstacles ahead, the future of the Giant Panda is a strong one. The affection the Chinese people feel towards this animal will keep the conservative efforts alive.